


I'll always come for you

by stargatesarah



Category: Stargate SG-1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28172001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargatesarah/pseuds/stargatesarah
Summary: Jack always made sure no one got left behind but his worse nightmare is realised when Sam is the one left. Sam and Jack are together and Janet's still alive. Set after Season 8 doesn't really follow anything other than my imagination! Written for @faeryqueen09 - thank you for making 2020 bearable! Plenty of Sam whumping in this one! All mistakes are my own!
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36
Collections: Stargate





	1. Chapter 1

One foot in front of the other, that was all she had to do. Move and repeat, move and repeat. Why then did it feel so hard she complained to herself as she continued to drag herself along. Spotting a rock that seemed high enough off the ground that she’d actually stand a chance of getting back up after, Sam gently lowered herself down and took a minute to get her breath back. The past 24hrs had been some of the worst of her life which she thought was quite ironic considering what she and the rest of SG1 had been through since they became the SGC’s flagship team 9 years ago. Daniel had died and come back on more than one occasion, Teal’c had pledged his allegiance to complete strangers and joined the fight against the Goa’uld. The Colonel had come back from retirement and was now General O’Neill, something that even he still couldn’t quite believe. Something else she couldn’t quite believe was their fledgling relationship, finally circumstances had allowed them to pursue one and they’d both grabbed it and each other, literally. She allowed herself a grin at that one, wanting someone for 9 years and then finally being allowed it meant the time they did spend together was quite often spent in a state of undress. 

Checking the wound on her side, Sam hissed as she peeled away the makeshift dressing she’d made. Typically, the med kit hadn’t been in her backpack so she’d had to make do with tearing up a spare t-shirt instead. Despite not taking a full hit, the damage was pretty impressive and the pain was indescribable. When she’d realized she wasn’t going to make it to the gate, she’d flung herself into some thick vegetation and by some small miracle the Jaffa patrol chasing them had focused on firing at the gate, allowing her a few valuable seconds to escape. The moment she’d heard the gate shut down, she knew she was in trouble and all she could do to keep herself from collapsing right there and then was to ignore the fact she’d been left behind and concentrate on surviving. If there was one thing she could be sure of, Jack and the rest of her team would be back for her.

Jack, Daniel and Teal’c had been back at the SGC for less than a day and Jack had already managed to annoy pretty much the entire base. Even Teal’c and Daniel had heeded the Doctors advice and retired to their quarters to get some much needed rest. Usually when they returned from an off world mission and one of them was injured, Jack would remain in or near the infirmary but this time, the injured one hadn’t actually returned. He remembered the moment Sam got hit like it was happening right now in front of him. They were running for the gate and she was a few meters behind him. Yelling at Daniel to dial Earth, he’d turned and watched a Jaffa fire at them. To her credit, she’d merely stumbled and somehow remained on her feet. She’d yelled at him to keep going and he’d watched her to make sure she too kept moving. Teal’c was laying down cover fire with a level of accuracy that he could only dream off. She’d continued to shout at them to keep going and for some reason, one he’d yet to comprehend, he’d done just that and he, Teal’c and Daniel went through the gate. Except she never came through, by the time he’d realised the gate had been shut down. Apparently multiple Jaffa firing through the wormhole and shooting up the gateroom wasn’t appreciated. Of course, as soon as the gate shut down, he’d yelled at the control room to re-dial the planet but just to piss him off even further, they weren’t able to reestablish a connection.

So 6 hours later, General Jack O’Neill had taken to pacing the corridors of the SGC in an effort to take his mind off the fact not only had he left someone behind but he’d managed to leave Sam behind, the same person he’d finally succeeded beginning a proper relationship with. Mentally berating himself for the hundredth time he kicked the corridor wall and headed towards the commissary for some much needed caffeine. Despite his status on the base, he was pretty sure if he went anywhere near the control room, he’d be ordered to leave the base. Hassling the gate technician and scientists to work harder or lose their jobs wasn’t becoming of a General even if they knew he didn’t really mean it.

Entering the commissary, Jack grabbed a mug of coffee and took up residence in the table tucked away in the corner, thankfully due to the fact it was late he didn’t have to make small talk with anyone else. That and the fact that he’d been there long enough that people were smart enough to avoid him at times like these, everyone except Daniel who’d just shuffled in, grabbed a coffee and was heading straight for him.  
“Jack”  
“Daniel”  
“So”  
“So what?”  
“Jesus Jack, are you deliberately trying to be difficult?” asked Daniel.  
“Nope, I’m deliberately trying to drink my coffee in peace” They sat in silence for a few minutes before Daniel spoke again.  
“You know Teal’c and I know right?”  
“Know what?” replied Jack glumly, he’d run out of coffee and getting more meant Daniel was even more likely to hang around.  
“About you and Sam”  
“And?” said Jack, finally looking up at his increasingly annoying friend.  
“Why didn’t you tell us?” asked Daniel, managing to feign hurt which Jack didn’t buy for one second.  
“Firstly don’t act offended cos I know you're not and secondly, Carter wanted to keep it low key so we did. We’d have told you when we were ready although that apparently counts for nothing around here”  
“Well I’m happy for you both, about time you two got your act together” replied Daniel excitedly “and I won the betting pool so thanks!”  
“Glad we could help” replied Jack sarcastically, “won’t mean much if she doesn’t make it back though will it?”  
“We will get her back, Teal’c and I will be there with you” Daniel told him, the smile removed from his face. “We’re still SG1” he told him.


	2. Chapter 2

Glancing at her watch, Sam realised she’d sat for longer than she’d intended. Standing up she’d almost fallen straight back down, her head felt like it was swimming through the thickest fog you could imagine. There was no way she could continue on, especially given that it was getting late. Since they’d only been on the planet during the day, she had no idea what to expect once it got dark. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Sam slowly continued on in the hope of finding somewhere to shelter for the night. She hadn’t intended to move so far from the gate but the Jaffa patrol had turned their attention back to her once the gate shut down and she’d quickly gotten disorientated. Stumbling along she quickly realised if she didn’t sit down on her own accord her body was going to do it for her, looking around frantically for something that constituted cover, Sam noticed a large cluster of boulders. Heading towards them she almost shouted in relief when she saw a gap big enough to climb through. Taking a chance and using her torch, she took a quick look around. Although it wasn’t big enough to stand up in the recess in the rocks was certainly big enough to lay down in and it provided a decent amount of cover. Quickly pulling her sleeping bag out she pushed her backpack in and crawled in herself. She’d barely managed to get one leg into her sleeping bag before the pain of the staff blast in her side became too much and she passed out. 

Jack and Daniel had continued to sit drinking coffee in the commissary for most of the night. Neither of them had really spoken except to ask if the other needed more coffee, they’d simply sat each lost in their own thoughts. As the commissary began to get busier Jack realised it must have been approaching morning. A fact that was confirmed when they noticed Teal’c joining the queue for breakfast before heading over to their table.  
“O’Neill, Doctor Jackson” greeted Teal’c as he sat down to eat. The three of them continued to sit in silence, both Daniel and Teal’c knew better than to constantly try and engage Jack in conversation during moments like this, instead they provided company which even if it wasn’t obvious to an outsider, they knew it was appreciated.   
“Have you a plan, O'Neill?” asked Teal’c in between mouthfuls of breakfast.  
“A plan for what?” asked Daniel in surprise.  
“No plan needed Teal’c” replied Jack.  
“How do you intend to rescue Major Carter?”  
“I won’t stop until I find her” he replied simply. The other two nodded in agreement, knowing they’d both be by his side until he did.

Suddenly the base intercom blasted into life, “General O’Neill to the control room”. Jack looked between Daniel and Teal’c before the three of them rushed out of the commissary.  
“Sgt, tell me this is good news?” asked Jack as he entered the control room.  
“We’re ready to try dialing the gate again Sir” replied Harriman. Jack nodded and stood watching as the gate technicians began the dialing sequence. Clenching his fists, Jack tried hard to remain calm as the gate slowly locked the chevrons in sequence. When the final chevron locked and the wormhole established, he wasn’t the only one in the control room who let out a sigh of relief, Daniel slapped his back, his joy evident that they were finally able to connect with the planet they’d left Sam on.  
“Send a MALP Sgt” ordered Jack before turning to Daniel and Teal’c, “we leave in 30 minutes”

Sam woke up abruptly, her body shaking uncontrollably. Despite the fact her face felt like it was on fire, she couldn’t stop shivering. Great, just what I need she thought to herself, an infection. Reaching for her pack, she was cruelly reminded of the fact that she didn’t have a med kit with her. Fumbling around in her jacket pocket in the hope that she might have at least packed a few painkillers, disappointment once again crossed her face and she cursed herself for not having even packed some Tylenol. Gingerly laying back down, Sam resigned herself to staying put for a while. She knew there was no way she was walking out of here on her own, she could only hope Jack would be able to make it to her before it was too late.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack had just finished getting ready to head back to the planet, the MALP had confirmed that the gate was clear which was enough to convince Jack it was safe to return. As usual SG3 would be accompanying them to provide backup, however there was one more person they needed before Jack was ready to return.  
“Doc? Are you here?” yelled Jack as he flew into the infirmary in full off world gear.  
“Yes and I’d be grateful if you could refrain from running into my infirmary yelling at the top of your voice, Sir”  
“Sorry Doc” replied Jack although they both knew he wasn’t in the slightest bit sorry. “I need your help, fancy a trip out of the infirmary?” Janet knew exactly what he was alluding to and wasted no time in grabbing her gear.  
“I wasn’t going to let you go without me” she told him as they headed out of the infirmary together.

Entering the gateroom, Jack immediately headed towards Teal’c, Daniel and Janet who were busy making last minute checks to their gear.  
“You guys ready?”  
“We are,” replied Teal’c with a slight nod of the head. Daniel nodded in agreement as he helped Janet with her medical gear, not knowing what to expect, Janet had packed up half the infirmary so Daniel had drawn the short straw with helping her carry it.  
“Dial it up Sgt” yelled Jack before moving to the bottom of the ramp. He watched the gate spinning, and the familiar whoosh of the vortex shooting forward was about how his stomach was feeling with nerves. Seeing Carter get shot, with a staff blast nonetheless sent his heart and stomach spinning along with a tidal wave of nausea for good measure. They’d only just been able to pursue a relationship, the thought of losing her so soon wasn’t one he was able to process. He was vaguely aware of someone shouting at him but he was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t bother to acknowledge them, it took Daniel placing a hand on his shoulder, asking if he was ready to bring him back to the present.

Stepping out the other side, Jack was swiftly reminded of the events of the previous 24hrs. The sound and smell of Jaffa staff weapons resonated in his head and for a moment he was unable to move, stuck in his thoughts.  
“General?”  
“Sir?”  
“Jack?” Three different voices, all trying to get through to him. The only one that would have managed it was the one they were here to find.  
“General?” Reynolds tried again, “Jack?” he added, a little more softly.  
“Yes, sorry” replied Jack, finally regaining his composure.  
“Orders Sir?”  
“Secure the gate Colonel and stay in radio contact. We’ll be in touch as soon as we find Major Carter” ordered Jack, firmly securing his trusted baseball cap, he took a deep breath and motioned for the rest of SG1 and Janet to follow.

“This is nice” commented Sam as she snuggled in closer to the warm body that currently had his arms wrapped around her own.  
“Do we have to get up?” asked Jack, “because I can think of a number of reasons to stay here” he whispered as he gently nibbled on her earlobe before slowly moving down her neck, planting gentle kisses as went.  
“Tell me more” she replied in response, pushing back into his obvious arousal.  
“How about I show you?” he replied, flipping her around to face him in one deft movement causing her to let out a scream of surprise.  
Screaming, someone is screaming Sam thought to herself, rolling over onto her injured side, she screamed out loud and sat up a lot faster than her body was prepared for. Unable to fight the nausea that flew up, she leant as far over as she could and retched. Groaning painfully after she’d finished, she wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve and slumped back down. It didn’t take her long to realise she’d been hallucinating and the screams had come from her. Glancing out of the recess she’d crawled into, she was glad to see it was still daylight.   
Come on Sam she ordered to herself, get out of here and look for help. You ran out of water during the night, if you want to see him again you’d better find more. Mumbling at her own stubbornness, and secretly wondering if that was a quality that endeared her to him, she dragged herself out of the cover she’d found and blinked furiously as the bright light hit her face. Deciding not to take a look at her wound, there was nothing she could do about it after all. Sam grabbed her canteen and tried and failed to pull herself upright, collapsing in a heap on the floor, it took all her strength and training not to curl into a ball and sob for a few hours. 

“Are you sure this is the right way Teal’c?” asked Jack as he followed his friend with the others trailing closely behind.  
“If Major Carter was being pursued, the trajectory she would have taken from the bush she jumped in, would have followed this route”  
“A simple yes would have been just fine T” grumbled Jack. Aside from a bush with traces of blood on the leaves, a sight that would stay with Jack for a long time, they’d seen no further evidence to support the path they were currently on. Feeling frustrated at his lack of options, Jack decided to try using the radio to find Sam. Motioning for the others to stop, he took a deep breath, flicked on his radio and called for Sam.  
“Major Carter, this is General O’Neill, can you hear me?” The others eagerly crowded round in hope of hearing a response. After a few minutes, feeling slightly deflated even though he knew it was a long shot, Jack tried again.  
“Carter, this is O’Neill, please respond”

Still on the floor where she’d collapsed, Sam was sure she could hear someone calling her name. Putting it down to another hallucination, she remained where she was on the floor since for the first time in a while, her head wasn’t threatening to explode.  
“Carter, answer your radio goddammit” Sitting up as fast as her broken body could manage, a small grin crept onto Sam’s face, that was definitely not a hallucination. Reaching for her radio, she answered the rather irate request of her commanding officer.  
“Carter here, what took you so long?”


	4. Chapter 4

Collectively they all drew a sigh of relief, no one more so than Jack who practically shoved Daniel over, he’d slapped his back so hard. Their joy was short lived though when Sam came back on the radio.  
“I’d really appreciate it if you guys didn’t take too long in finding me” Smiles quickly turned to frowns and Janet was first on the radio back to Sam.  
“Sam it’s Janet, can you tell me what’s wrong?”  
“Just on the receiving end of a staff blast Janet, nothing major right?”  
“Absolutely” replied Janet, keeping the tone light for Sam’s sake.   
“Can you walk?  
“Not without losing the contents of my stomach” replied Sam with a feeble laugh, “if it’s alright with you I’d rather just stay where I am, turns out the ground is quite comfy” Janet and Jack shared worried glances, they both knew Sam would never willingly sit around.   
“OK Sam, I only need you to do one thing, stay awake OK? I can have the General here make it an order if that helps”   
“S’not funny Janet” Sam slurred in response, before her radio clicked back off.  
“Dammit” growled Jack, “anyone got any clue where she might be?”  
“Wherever she is, we need to find her and fast” replied Janet.

Sam hadn’t meant to drop her radio but it fell out of her hand when a pain shot up her side, she was pretty sure she hadn’t passed out but considering she had lost the ability to stand, she was pretty sure anything was possible at this point. Deciding that laying around on the floor was probably not how she wished to be seen when rescued, Sam slowly pulled herself to a sitting position and leaned back on a rock, taking a moment to steady her breathing, she picked up the radio and hoped the others were still in range.  
“Sir, Janet? Can you still hear me?” The shock of hearing Sam’s voice come across the radio nearly caused Jack to drop his, Daniel threw him a smirk as he watched his friend regain his composure earning him a glare in return.  
“We’re still here Carter, do you think you can stay on the radio this time?”  
“I’ll do my best Sir”   
“Great because Teal’c is missing the sound of your voice and you know how disappointed he gets”  
“Ugh” hissed Sam  
“Sam! What’s wrong?” asked Jack, his voice laced with concern.  
“Don’t…..make…..me…..laugh” she panted.  
“Jeez Sam, I’m an old man, don’t do that to me OK?”  
“Sorry Jack”  
“Just keep the radio open, we’ll do the rest” Jack told her, he’d split up the group to cover more ground with Teal’c and Daniel together and he with Janet.

They continued to sweep the area with no luck, just when Jack was beginning to lose hope that they’d find her before nightfall, he spotted her lying against a rock. From a distance he couldn’t tell if she was alive or not, yelling at Janet, he broke into a run before skidding to a halt on the ground next to her. Grabbing her face with his hands, he realised he was trembling, the next few moments would determine his future, their future together.  
“Sam, it’s me, Jack. Can you open your eyes for me?”  
“Mmmm kay” she replied before briefly opening her eyes and closing them again, “tired, wanna sleep” she mumbled.  
“Not at the moment Sam” replied Janet having joined them both, “I need to check you over first and then you can rest OK?” Not getting a response, Janet gently shook Sam’s arm until she eventually opened her eyes and looked back at her.  
“Sir, I need you to sort out some form of stretcher, there’s no way she’s walking out of here” Nodding in understanding, Jack squeezed Sam’s hand before standing up and radioing Daniel and Teal’c as to their location.

“Right Sam, can you tell me if anything else hurts?”  
“Aside from feeling like utter rubbish, just my side I think” replied Sam, “and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to like what you ask next”  
“Glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humour and yes, you know I’m going to need to take a look at your side” Groaning as Janet gently helped Sam lay down, she slowly peeled off the bandage and it took all of Sam’s strength to not pass out there and then.  
“Just take some deep breaths Sam, I’m going to wrap this back up now” Grimacing as she did, Sam struggled to remain conscious.  
“Jan….are you done”  
“Almost” replied Janet as she tied off the bandage, “ I’m going to set up an IV now and then how about we get you home?” asked Janet.  
“Kay” mumbled Sam. Realising she was fighting a losing battle in trying to keep Sam awake, Janet concentrated her efforts on getting her ready to be taken back through the gate.  
“General, are you ready?”  
“Two minutes Doc and we’ll be with you” replied Jack, “hows Carter doing?”  
“She’s sleeping Sir, we need to get her back to the SGC as soon as possible” Jack didn’t miss the urgency in the Doctor's voice.  
“Understood” he replied, clicking off his radio.

Janet had Sam ready to go by the time Jack and the others returned with a makeshift stretcher, since the three of them looked rather pleased with their efforts, Janet sincerely hoped their attempt at a stretcher would actually make it back to the gate in one piece.  
“Sir, Daniel, help me lift her up,” ordered Janet. Doing as asked, the three of them carefully lifted Sam and laid her back down on the stretcher. Jack looked at her in concern when she failed to stir.  
“I’ve given her some painkillers Sir, she probably won’t wake up for a while” Janet told him in an effort to reassure him.  
“Teal’c and I will carry Sam, Daniel you’re on point. When we get close to the gate, radio Reynolds and let him know to expect us” Lifting Sam up as carefully as they could, the four of them started a slow walk back to the gate, all hoping it would be as trouble free as the journey out.


	5. Chapter 5

“General, this is Reynolds, do you copy?”  
“Loud and clear, Colonel. We’re almost at the gate, what’s your situation?” asked Jack.  
“We’ve got a Jaffa patrol approaching the gate General, I suggest you hold position, over”  
“Reynolds, Carter doesn’t have time to hold position, she needs to get back to the SGC now” yelled Jack.  
“Sir, we will have the gate clear as soon as we can” Goddammit muttered Jack to himself as he and the others came to a halt less than a mile from the gate.   
“Daniel, stay with the Doc and Carter, Teal’c you and I are going to help Reynolds at the gate” ordered Jack.  
“Sir? I really need to get Sam back to the SGC as soon as possible” replied Janet.  
“I know Doc, you think you can handle this here?” She nodded in response, “OK, Daniel with me as well, let’s go” Jack helped Janet maneuver the stretcher away from the main path before leaving her with Sam who had begun to stir.  
“Jan, what’s going on?” asked Sam drowsily.  
“Nothing for you to worry about, how’re you feeling?”  
“Pretty rubbish” she admitted with a grimace.  
“I’m not surprised, I can give you another shot of morphine if you’d like?”  
“Maybe in a bit” she replied as Janet frowned at her.  
“What?”  
“Sam you don’t need to pretend around me, let me help you” Janet told her.  
“I’m not” Sam replied indignantly, “I just don’t want to be high on drugs when there’s a potential threat nearby”  
“Sam, not that I don’t doubt your abilities as a soldier, but you’re in no fit state to get up from this stretcher let alone fight a Jaffa patrol”  
“Fine” replied Sam, finally giving in, “but I don’t want any morphine at the moment, it’s making me really nauseous”  
“Fair enough but the moment the pain gets too much, I want you to let me know” Janet told her, setting her bag back down and dropping back down beside Sam.

Jack, Daniel and Teal’c c approached the gate from behind, they could see the Jaffa patrol standing near the DHD and much to his annoyance, they didn’t look in any hurry to go anywhere.  
“We need a distraction”  
“That might bring others” replied Daniel.  
“Maybe, but it only needs to be enough to get Carter through the gate” Jack told him.  
“I agree with Doctor Jackson” replied Teal’c.  
“What?” spluttered Jack.  
“You do?” asked Daniel.  
“The element of surprise is our greatest strength here, we are equal in numbers also. We can surround them and incapacitate them without gaining anymore attention”  
“Huh” replied Jack and Daniel together but each for entirely different reasons.  
“Reynolds, do you copy?” whispered Jack into his radio, “listen up, we’ve got a plan”

“Do you think the silence is a good thing?” asked Janet, having just taken Sam’s pulse again.  
“Maybe, although it might also mean they’ve been captured”  
“Without a firefight and the General blowing something up?” replied Janet with a smirk. Sam could only manage to smile weakly in return and the smile on Janet’s face was quickly replaced with one of concern.  
“Sam, is there something I should know?” she asked, feeling for her pulse again.  
“I really don’t feel good” she replied, the colour having completely drained from her face. Janet gasped as she watched Sam’s eyes roll back in her head as she passed out.  
“Sam, don’t do this to me” she ordered, knowing the General wouldn’t want her yelling out over the radio, Janet had no choice but to try and contact him anyway.

“Well that actually went a lot better than I expected” said Jack as he surveyed the scene in front of him. Between SG3 and him, Daniel and Teal’c they’d successfully managed to surprise the Jaffa patrol and zatted them without so much as a murmur. If he didn’t know better, he’d have said Teal’c had the distinct look of smugness covering his face. His joy was short lived though when Janet’s panicked voice came across the radio.  
“General, Sam needs to go now!” Springing into action, Daniel ran to the DHD and began dialing whilst SG3 took up defence positions around the gate. It was times like this that made Jack immensely proud, everyone knew their role and they did it, time and time again, without question. Taking off at a run behind Teal’c, he headed back to Sam, hoping they weren’t going to be too late.

Teal’c reached them first which was probably a good thing as it took all of Jack’s resolve not to fall to his knees at the sight before him. Janet was frantically giving CPR to a completely unresponsive Sam, looking at them both as they approached, he was glad someone was still in control of the situation.  
“Teal’c, can you carry her?” shouted Janet. He simply nodded as he reached down and gently picked her up in his arms.  
“I need you to get her to the SGC as fast as you can” Janet told him, she’d barely finished before he turned and ran. Jogging to keep up, Janet placed an arm on Jack’s as they followed.  
“She’s strong General” He couldn’t reply, even if he wanted to, there were no words to express how he felt right now. It took all his energy just to place a foot in front of the other as they ran up the steps and through the Stargate.

By the time Jack and Janet had reached the SGC, Teal’c was already on his way to the infirmary. Leaving a shell shocked General in the gateroom, Janet hurried off after him as Daniel and SG3 came through before the gate shutdown.  
“What happened?” asked Daniel.  
“She wasn’t breathing Daniel, I left her too long and she wasn’t breathing” replied Jack as she slumped down at the bottom of the ramp. The rest of the personnel in the gateroom filed out, leaving Daniel with an inconsolable Jack who was resting his head in his hands.  
“Hey” said Daniel as he placed a firm hand on his friend's shoulder. “You know as well as I do that Sam isn’t a quitter and she wouldn’t expect you to be either”  
“She wasn’t breathing Daniel” he yelled, “did I not make that clear?”  
“Maybe she wasn’t then but do you really think Janet would let her go that easily? Shouldn’t you be down there now, waiting for her like she would for you? he asked. After a few minutes, Daniel held out a hand and watched as his friend grabbed it, gripping it tightly.  
“C’mon” he grunted, pulling him up. “Let’s go and annoy Janet whilst she’s trying to work”


	6. Chapter 6

By the time Janet had reached the infirmary, Teal’c had already laid Sam down on a bed and the nurses had picked up where she’d left off on the planet. Throwing her jacket aside, Janet immediately prepared the defibrillator and gave Sam the first charge, glancing across to the monitors and seeing the flat line, she upped the charge and shocked her again. Relief was evident in the room as Sam’s body came back to life. Working as fast as she could, Janet let her team work as she prepared herself for surgery, Sam had done her bit, now it was her turn to give her friend a fighting chance to recover fully.

“Jack, will you just please sit down?” asked a thoroughly exasperated Daniel who was already regretting his decision to bring Jack down to wait outside the infirmary. Ignoring him, Jack continued to pace up and down and for a moment Daniel contemplated leaving him there on his own and hiding in his lab with a rather large cup of coffee. Thankfully, Teal’c reappeared with coffee for the both of them and Jack begrudgingly sat down to drink his.  
“Have you had any news as to Major Carter’s condition?” asked Teal’c.  
“Nothing since they took her into surgery” replied Daniel, “but the nurses said someone would be out as soon as they were done”  
“How is O’Neill?” enquired Teal’c as he and Daniel briefly stepped away from Jack to discuss their friend.  
“Blames himself as usual” sighed Daniel.  
“To what reason does he believe it is his fault?”  
“No idea, I already told him it wasn’t anyone’s fault but you know how stubborn he can be” replied Daniel.  
“I might be stubborn but I can hear you talking about me” yelled Jack.  
“We were conferring out loud O’Neill, I am glad you can hear” replied Teal’c without a hint of sarcasm causing Daniel to snort his coffee having just taken a sip.  
Before they could argue any further, a very tired looking Janet came out to find them.  
“How did I know you three would be here?”   
“Tell me some good news Doc” asked Jack as he stood up in front of her whilst Daniel and Teal’c moved to be beside him.  
“She’s out of surgery and stable, I’m not going to lie, that was a close one General” Jack breathed a silent sigh of relief as Daniel excitedly hugged Teal’c before slapping Jack on the back.  
“Can we see her?” asked Jack, the tension already leaving his body.   
“Give me 20 minutes to get her settled, no sooner!” Janet told them before heading back into the infirmary.

Daniel and Teal’c both knew Jack would want time alone with Sam so they both said their goodbyes and promised to stop by in a few hours. Sitting back down to wait Jack struggled to hide his relief at the fact she’d made it. That moment on the planet when he saw Janet giving her CPR would stay with him forever, he was certain of it. It would have been a cruel irony to lose her when the next chapter of their life was only just beginning. He hadn’t even told her that he’d planned to retire, riding a desk wasn’t for him and the big brass knew that as well as he did. Digging around in his pocket, he pulled out the single diamond ring and spun it around in his fingers. Waiting for the right moment to ask, he’d kept putting it off, that moment was now he thought to himself.  
Sam felt like she was lying on a cloud of fluff, big white fluffy fluff she thought to herself. The only problem with her big cloud of fluff was that someone kept shouting at her and they didn’t seem to be going away, in fact they appeared to be getting more persistent. Forcing her eyes open, Sam’s mind and her body came rushing back to reality, as did the events of the past few days. Groaning in disgust that the best hallucination she’d had in days was so abruptly ended, she glanced to her side to find Janet smiling at her.  
“Welcome back Sam, you had us all worried for a moment there”  
“Sorry” was all Sam could manage at that point, her body brutally reminding her of what she’d put it through.  
“I’d say I’ll leave you to get some rest but if I don’t let the General in, none of us will be getting any rest” Janet told her smiling warmly, “don’t let him keep you awake” she added before turning to let Jack into her infirmary.

“I’ll leave you two alone and she needs rest!” Janet told Jack sternly, he simply nodded at Janet, his eyes focused purely on Sam.  
“Hey” he said quietly, taking her hand in his.  
“I’m sorry”  
“For what Carter?” replied Jack in surprise, “none of this was your fault”  
“I shouldn’t have let myself fall behind, none of this would have happened if i’d kept up”  
“Firstly, I’m your commanding officer, if anyone’s to blame it’s me for not making sure you kept up and secondly, I ordered the others through the gate and I left you behind. The blame ends with me, understand?”  
“Is that an order, Sir?” she replied, looking at him with a smirk.  
“It is, now are you up to this?” he asked as he leant forward and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.  
“Mmm” she replied sleepily, “try it again” Smiling as he leant forward to kiss her again she instead caught him by surprise and turnt her face to meet his, allowing him to kiss her gently on the lips.  
“Carter!” he yelped in surprise, “don’t tease me, I’m an old man. Now get some rest, doctors orders remember?”  
“Yes Sir” she replied, perfectly enouncating her words, “stay” she whispered shortly after.  
“I’m not going anywhere Sam” he told her as his fingers twirled the ring in his pocket, “I’ll always be by your side”


	7. Chapter 7

For the next few days, Jack barely left Sam’s side, much to Janet’s annoyance, she sometimes wondered if he did it partly to annoy her. Eventually though he had to return to work himself and since Sam was awake and sitting up Janet had allowed her a little time on her laptop each day. By the time she’d been there a week, Sam had managed to convince Janet to allow her to continue her recuperation at home although she’d lost the argument about staying by herself.  
“You know you’re coming home with me?” asked Jack as he settled himself in his usual chair by the side of Sam’s bed.  
“Huh?”  
“You’re coming home with me. Janet said you could only leave if you had someone with you and that’s me”  
“Um well..that would be lovely but are you sure?” asked Sam.  
“Of course I am”  
“You do know you’ll have to get real food? Not just burnt steak covered in beer”   
“Very funny Sam, did Daniel put you up to that? I can cook you know, I just choose not to. Besides, did you really think I wouldn’t want to look after you?” he asked.  
“Jack, I’d like nothing more than to have you weight on me hand and foot, I just wasn’t sure if you would want me there all the time?” Jack was silent for a moment as she thought about her words, suddenly he knew exactly how to make her realise he was serious.  
“Would this convince you?” he asked, pulling out the ring from his pocket and holding it up in front of her. Watching Sam’s jaw hit the floor and rendering her speechless was one of the highlights of Jack’s life, Sam was never speechless. Feeling suitably smug with himself, he met her gaze and the sparkle in her bright blue eyes answered for her before she managed to find her voice again.  
“I love you Sam, I don’t want to wait any longer, these last few weeks have been the longest of my life. Will you do me the honour of marrying me?” With tears in her eyes, Sam mumbled a yes before Jack carefully pulled her into a hug and slipped the ring on her finger.  
“I love you too Jack” was all he needed to hear.

“What the hell is that?” exclaimed Janet from halfway across the infirmary. She’d been preparing Sam’s meds for her discharge and was on her way over to detail her very strict instructions on what Sam was allowed to do when something very sparkly radiated from Sam’s left hand.  
“It’s nothing” replied Sam, quickly hiding her hand under her blanket.  
“That is not nothing, is it...is it what I think it is?” asked Janet, as a rather large smile erupted across her face.  
“Fine! It is, but we’re not telling anyone yet ok?”  
“Let me see it” squealed Janet as she took Sam’s hand to have a closer look, “Sam this is beautiful” she told her, “and in all seriousness, I’m really really happy for you both”  
“Thanks Janet” said Sam, as her friend gave her a hug at the same moment a very overexcited archaeologist burst through the infirmary doors.  
“Sam, is it true, did you say yes? I can’t believe he finally asked you!”  
“Daniel” replied Sam, trying her best to remain calm, “what the hell are you talking about?”  
“Jack asked you to marry him right?” replied Daniel looking warily between her and Janet, “he has asked you already? Oh god tell me I didn’t ruin it”  
“Calm down Daniel, he asked and I said yes but I thought we weren’t telling anyone just yet that’s all”  
“Oh, well, sorry”  
“No your not”  
“If it’s any consolation, you’ve made him very happy Sam. I’m really happy for you both” said Daniel, “and I’m also really happy about the base betting pool”  
“Get out!” shouted Janet and Sam at the same time, both with smiles on their faces.  
“Get changed Sam, I’ll be back shortly” Janet told her as she pulled the curtains around her bed to give her some privacy. Sam laid back in her bed and smiled to herself, she was going to have some fun with the fact Jack couldn’t keep a secret.


	8. Chapter 8

“So, does the whole base know yet?”  
“Know what?” asked Jack  
“About us?”  
“No I didn’t tell anyone, just like we agreed”  
“Really? Not a single person” she asked sceptically, “not even your closest friend?” An awkward silence fell across the car before Jack finally plucked up the courage to answer.  
“He told you didn’t he?”  
“Yep”  
“I'm going to kill him”  
“Did you really expect Daniel to keep it a secret? Because he’s literally the last person I’d tell if that were the case”  
“Fair point” laughed Jack, as he placed a hand on her thigh. “Anything you need to tell me?” he asked after a few more moments of silence.   
“No,” she replied quietly.  
“Sure? Because old Doc Fraiser seemed to want to tell me something.  
“In my defence I didn’t tell, she saw”  
“Call it even?” he asked, smiling broadly at her.  
“Yeah” she sighed, shifting awkwardly in her seat.  
“You OK?” he asked, concern sweeping over him.  
“Just can’t get comfy that’s all” she told him, any other day he’d have believed her but he hadn’t failed to notice the pained lines that crossed her face, just get her home and into bed he told himself, she’ll be fine, he hoped. 

Despite Jack’s more than comfortable truck, the ride home couldn’t have been more painful for Sam. Cursing herself for refusing some pain relief for the journey back, she had to bite the inside of her cheek at one point to prevent herself from groaning out loud. Repeating over and over in her head that Jack’s house was better than the infirmary, Sam closed her eyes and silently prayed for the journey to be over as quickly as possible. 

Keeping an eye on Sam as he drove back, Jack couldn’t tell if she was asleep or not, either way he could tell she was hurting even if she hadn’t admitted to herself. He’d always admired her stubbornness, he’d lost count of the amount of sticky situations she’d gotten them out of as a result of her refusal to quit. In fact his first impression back in the briefing room all those years ago showed him, she certainly wasn’t going to be a pushover, he wasn’t sure anyone had ever been that forward in a room full of higher ranking officers. A sparkle on her hand caught his eye, he hadn’t realised she’d kept the ring on and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride that she had left it on for the world to see. Ironically even if they’d agreed to keep it a secret. Pulling up outside his house, he debated whether or not to wake her or simply scoop her up and carry her in, before he had a chance to make a decision she came to with a look of surprise on her face.  
“Did I sleep the whole way?”  
“Pretty much” he shrugged, “guess you needed it” Watching as she struggled to open the door and get out, he jumped out and ran round to herside.  
“Let me help you Sam” he told her, holding his hand out.  
“I can manage” she replied, as she hissed sharply as the movement from turning her body sent a fresh wave of pain through her.  
“Sam, you’re in pain”  
“I’m fine” she replied tersely, “just a little tired” Knowing for well she wasn’t telling the whole truth, he decided not to push her further for the moment.  
“Let yourself in” he told her handing over his keys “and I’ll grab your stuff”

Following her up the path he could tell she was holding herself awkwardly and he started to question whether or not he’d done the right thing by encouraging Janet to let her leave the infirmary so soon.   
“Bed or couch?” He asked once they were inside.  
“Bed I think, I am pretty tired” Well at least she’s being honest about that he mused as he followed her towards his room.   
“You want some pain meds?”  
“No I’m just going to sleep, will you be here later?” she replied, stifling a yawn at the same time.  
“Only if you want me too, I don’t want to hurt you Sam”  
“You won’t and besides, we’ll be sleeping” she told him with a smirk. Jack helped her get comfortable in bed before heading to the door, he stopped just before walking through and turned back to look at Sam. She’d already fallen asleep and had turned a worrying shade of white. Running his hand through his hair and sighing, he knew if he called Janet and she found out she’d be pissed but at the same time he knew something was up, even if she wasn’t going to admit it.

“Hey Doc”   
“General, is everything okay with Sam?”   
“How did you know?” asked Jack in surprise.  
“I had a feeling she was still in more pain than she was letting on but I know better than to argue with her when it comes to staying in my infirmary”  
“Well you pretty much summed it up, any suggestions?”  
“I think you might have to wait on her this time Sir but call me later and I can stop by on my way home to check in on her” replied Janet before hanging up. Well, thought Jack, how exactly am I going to leave it up to Sam he thought to himself.

It didn’t seem to matter what position she tried, Sam was unable to get comfortable, considering she was beyond exhausted she was for a moment, rather impressed at her body's ability to keep her awake. Although she suspected Jack knew she was in more pain than she’d let on, she still couldn’t bring herself to tell him. The last thing she wanted was to spend anymore time in the infirmary which is exactly where he’d take her if he knew. Having given up on the hope of getting sleep, Sam tried to get out of bed, hoping that Jack might still be up. She wasn’t sure what time it was but since she’d gone to bed when it was light, she figured it couldn’t be too late. Swinging her legs round to the edge of the bed was pretty painful but if she could cope with that then surely standing up would be ok. Placing two feet on the floor, check, managed that she thought smugly. Standing up, yep, nailed it. Slowly walking towards the bathroom to freshen up, Sam immediately felt a twinge run through her waist, ignoring it as just being stiff she carried on towards the bathroom. Turning to lift the toilet seat was the moment things started to unravel, a searing pain shoot through her wound and she couldn’t help but cry out, the pain was so intense that her head immediately began to spin, the next thing she knew, was the pain of connecting with the side of the sink on her way to down to the floor.


	9. Chapter 9

Pacing up and down his lounge, Jack wrestled with himself as to whether or not he should go and see if Sam needed his help, she was hurting, he knew that. What he didn’t know was why she wouldn’t let him in, even now with everything they’d shared, she still couldn’t let go enough for him to help her. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he was going to help her whether she liked it or not, he heard a muffled cry followed by a thud coming from his bedroom, goddammit Sam he thought as he ran towards her.  
“Sam, I’m coming in” he yelled from outside the bathroom door. Pushing open the door, he found her sprawled on the bathroom floor, clutching her side. He didn’t fail to notice the huge bruise forming on her temple either.  
“Jesus Sam, why won’t you let me help you?” he told her, as he knelt down beside her.  
“Can you help me now?” she whispered, tears already running down her cheeks. Any ounce of anger that Jack felt immediately disappeared as he looked down at her, fragile wasn’t a word he’d usually associate with Major Carter but that’s exactly how she looked now. 

“I’m getting you into bed and then I’m calling the Doc, agreed?” She nodded at him, too tired to argue.  
“I’m sorry”  
“Hey” he replied, placing a finger under her chin and lifting her head up to look at him, “there’s nothing for you to be sorry about, just let me in ok?” Scooping her up gently in his arms, he carried her back to his bed. Once she was settled he grabbed his cell and called the Doc.  
“She did what?”  
“I know Doc, look….Janet…..I know…..stop shouting at me! Just get over here as soon as you can ok!” Slamming his cell shut and muttering under his breath about her being a napoleonic powermonger, Jack headed back to Sam who’d fallen asleep on his bed. He hoped she was asleep although given the state she’d gotten herself in, she could have easily passed out. Sitting down next to her, he brushed the hair from her forehead and prayed Janet got there sooner rather than later. 

Hearing a knock on his front door, Jack yelled out that it was open and a few moments later, Janet joined them both in his bedroom.   
“What happened Sir?” asked Janet as she sat on the side of the bed next to Sam.  
“I wish I could tell you but I’m not 100% sure myself” sighed Jack, “I left her sleeping and then the next thing I heard was her cry out. I’m pretty sure she’s still in a lot of pain”  
“Can you guys not talk like I’m not here” mumbled Sam causing both Janet and Jack to turn and jump in shock.  
“Sorry Sam, we didn’t realise you were awake” replied Janet, “although I’m not in the slightest bit sorry if you won’t be honest with me” she added, a look of sterness crossing her face.  
“I’ll be honest now, everything hurts” she whimpered, “please just make it stop” It took all of Jack's resolve not to pull her into a tight hug and send Janet away but that certainly wasn’t what Sam needed right now. Instead knowing that Sam would probably be more honest without him there at that moment, he offered to go and make some coffee to give them a few minutes alone.  
“So are you going to tell me what happened for you to end up in this state since you left my infirmary this morning?” asked Janet as she carefully felt the bump on Sam’s forehead.  
“Perhaps I was a little too keen to leave the infirmary” replied Sam, looking anywhere but at Janet. “I’m sorry” she sighed, “I’ll go back if you want me to”  
“I’m pretty sure that’s not what you really want and besides, there’s a sexy man out there desperate to take care of you”  
“Janet!”   
“What! You’re not the only one who notices things like that” replied Janet with a smirk, “besides, he’s very clearly only got eyes for you, considering the size of that rock on your hand” 

Janet emerged from the bedroom and found Jack in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, handing her one they both took a seat at the breakfast bar.  
“How is she Doc?”  
“She’ll be fine General, I’ve given her something stronger for the pain so with any luck, she’ll sleep for a while. In the meantime I’d suggest you keep a very close on eye on her”  
“Thanks Doc, you staying for a while?”  
“No I need to get back to the mountain for a bit, call me if your at all worried though” Seeing Janet out, Jack headed back to find Sam fast asleep and snoring lightly, smiling at how cute she looked, even with a huge bruise on her head, he carefully climbed in beside her and placed an arm protectively around her before falling asleep himself.

It was dark when Sam next woke up and for a moment she couldn’t remember where she was or why something heavy was resting on her thigh. Glancing over she saw a set of brown eyes staring back at her.  
“Hey” she whispered.  
“Hey, how’re you feeling?”  
“Hungry”  
“Well we can’t have that” he replied, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, “I’ll be right back” It wasn’t long before the smell of fresh coffee floated into the room and shortly after Jack sauntered in looking rather pleased with his efforts.  
“Pancakes and bacon for m’lady” Carefully helping her sit up, he was pleased to see her tucking into the food.

They sat in silence for a while before Jack laid back down, allowing Sam to snuggle down into him.  
“I love you Sam” he told her before placing a trail of kisses down her neck, “I don’t want to wait any longer”  
“Pretty sure Janet won’t be impressed if we do that” smirked Sam, her body instinctively responding to his touch.  
“Well I guess I can wait for that but I actually meant I don’t want to wait any longer for us to get married, what do you say, are you ready to be Mrs O’Neill?”  
“More than you’ll ever know” she replied, moving so he could kiss her lips. She moved a hand up behind his head and pulled him closer, “Sam” he groaned, “don’t or I won’t be able to stop”  
“I know you won’t hurt me Jack, just be gentle” Those words were all he needed to hear.


	10. Chapter 10

Her hands ran through his hair, gently guiding him down her body, he stopped briefly to run his hands across the scar from the staff blast. After weeks of recuperation she was finally back at work. They’d spent her downtime planning their wedding, neither of them wanted a big do, just a few close friends and as a result they’d been able to hold it when Sam was fully recovered.  
“I can’t believe I get to call you my wife” he murmured, as his mouth continued his assault of her body.  
“It's strange but I can definitely get used to it” she replied, “now, less talking”  
“Yes Ma’am”  
Continuing to kiss every inch of her body, her back arched in anticipation as he moved his mouth across her underwear, sensing what she wanted, he kept on going. Teasing her with his mouth. He moved his hands across her chest, cupping her breasts and tweaking her pert nipples before bringing his hands back down to thighs. WIthout warning, he pulled her towards the edge of the bed and stood up in front of her. 

Smirking at her obvious frustration, he slowly pulled his own underwear off before leaning down over her.  
“What are you waiting for?”  
“Just marvelling at your beauty,” he replied.  
“You can do that later” she replied, pulling him down on her. She kissed him hard, pushing her tongue deep into his mouth, keeping one hand on the back of his head she ran her other hand down his body and wrapped herself around him. He hissed as she gripped him tightly, slowly moving her hand, he began to match her movements with his thrusts.  
“I want you inside me” she whispered, guiding him towards her. He positioned himself above her before slowly entering, taking it slowly at first, he allowed her to dictate his speed. She ran her hands down his back, stopping at his ass and pushing him harder against her.   
“Christ Sam” he groaned, “this feels so good, you feel so good” Neither of them were able to speak again, their movements becoming more frantic and urgent before they both finally found their release. Jack moved off Sam and laid beside her, each of them enjoying their own highs.  
“Did I tell you that I love you?” he panted, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into his side.  
“Only every 5 minutes” she replied with a grin, “but I don’t mind, just as long as you know I love you as well”

“Did we just turn into two sappy weirdos?” asked Sam after a few minutes silence.  
“Nah, we regularly save earth and fight Goa’uld, we’re good. Besides, Daniel is the soft sappy one” smirked Jack.  
“That’s not very nice, he’s your best friend, remember?” Sam told him before grabbing a pillow and gently swiping his face with it. Making a playful growl, Jack grabbed the pillow and flung it across the room before flipping Sam back onto her back.  
“Careful Carter, don’t start something you can’t finish” Before she had a chance to answer, his mouth pressed hungrily against hers.  
“Round 2 is yours Sir”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading!


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